Greenwich Library Annual Report

A
Our Community
Our Library
B
1
Greenwich Library is now in the third year
of implementing its 2012-2017 Strategic Plan:
My Library, Connecting Our Community.
While traditional library services continue
to be heavily utilized, patron use of online
streaming and downloadable resources
continued to show fast growth. The public-private
partnership supported by Greenwich
residents, Trustees and Friends as well as
the Town of Greenwich continues to be
critical to our success.
Our Community
Our Library
• Greenwich Library focused on developing and implementing
a comprehensive collection assessment of all print materials as
part of implementing its strategic plan.
• Key management roles including Deputy Director and
Manager of Resources Management were filled.
• Archival photographs documenting the history of Greenwich
were selected and scanned as part of an ongoing effort to digitize
and make easily accessible the Library’s local history resources.
• Greenwich Library received a coveted Five-Star Library Award
by Library Journal for the sixth time in seven years.
• The self-checkout machines at the Main Library were upgraded
to improve performance and ease of use.
• The Library’s website use increased by 16% reflecting the growing
demand for digital materials including eBooks, audiobooks,
magazines, and databases. The Library, recognizing that its website
is in need of upgrading to reflect best web design for libraries,
launched a redesign project in early 2015.
• AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary continued to attract prominent
authors including Judy Blume, Steve Forbes, Richard Ford,
Andrew Gross, and William Mann.
• In order to support the secondary school students of
Greenwich, the Main Library again extended hours in
January and June 2015 to accommodate exam schedules.
Noteworthy
Accomplishments
2
3
4
Statistics from 2014-15 demonstrate the
growing demand for digital content as
usage of the Library’s online resources grew
dramatically. At the same time, in-person use
of the Library, while still high, decreased slightly.
• Website usage increased by 16% to 2,580,409 visits.
• Circulation of physical items decreased by 4%
to 1,225,413. However, circulation of
downloadable music increased by 507% and
downloadable eBooks and audiobooks increased
by 25% and 54%, respectively.
• Other traditional in-person use of the Library
decreased including door count (-2% to 655,610),
overall program attendance (-2% to 50,410)
and reference assistance (-8% to 159,419).
Statistics
and Highlights
5
6
Greenwich Library has a long history of a
public-private partnership with the Town.
The annual operating budget is funded by the
Town of Greenwich while the Board of Trustees’
Development Office raises private funds to
support Library programs and initiatives. Other
program funding comes from the Friends groups
from each of the three libraries in the system.
A longtime standing private endowment comes
from the Clementine L. Peterson Foundation.
The Foundation was established under the will of
Clementine L. Peterson in memory of her son,
Jonathan, and her husband, J. Whitney Peterson.
Peterson Foundation trustees exclusively govern
the investment plan and distribution of funds. The
annual distribution is used for operating and staffing
costs of the Peterson Wing as well as for enhancing
business and music collections and services.
Sources
of Funding
7
USES OF FUNDS
Patron Services
Books and Other
Library Resources
Facilities
Programs
Patron and
Staff Training
SOURCES OF FUNDS
Town
Peterson
Foundation
Friends of
Greenwich Library
and Other Private
Funding
Strategic Initiative: Continue to expand and curate
our collections and provide easy access to Library resources.
Staff conducted an extensive collection evaluation of all physical
items at the Main Library in 2014-2015. The goals of the
evaluation were to sustain the valued depth and breadth of the
collections, to continually adjust the balance of print and digital
content based on patron interests, and to free up crowded shelves
in order to reduce or reverse the trend of declining circulation in
physical materials. An optimized collection will allow the display
of materials which facilitates patron browsing and rebalances
collection sizes for future space planning. The implementation
of resized collections has already been completed with the print
periodical collection.
Strategic Initiative: Embrace and integrate
emerging media into our collections.
Library staff began to digitize an archival photographic collection to
honor Greenwich’s 375th anniversary. The collection includes 2,500
photographs and negatives from the late 19th to 20th centuries which
document the history of the Town. Photographs and negatives were
scanned following best digital conservation practices so that every detail
is preserved. The photos are available online for public viewing.
Patrons are attracted to the Library’s website for its ability to
provide 24/7 access to library accounts, listen to author podcasts,
download digital eBooks and audiobooks through Overdrive and
OneClickDigital, as well as stream video and music through Naxos
Music Library and Freegal. Researchers can access specialized
academic, business, and health databases. Usage statistics in these
areas demonstrate how access has become easier. Library cardholders
downloaded 25% more eBooks (81,736 downloads) and 54%
more audiobooks (22,376 downloads) than the previous year.
Approximately 90% of eBook reading is in the fiction category
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Collections
8
since the online format has not yet been fully adopted for high
circulating non-fiction print subjects such as cook books and travel
guides. Several major publishers started offering eBooks to libraries
last year, thus increasing Greenwich Library’s ability to provide more
titles that patrons want including more New York Times best-sellers.
There is also an increased awareness from Library users, led by the
conscious outreach efforts of staff to support users of eReaders and
devices via Drop-in Labs in the Technology Training Center and
increased marketing via social media and the Library catalog.
Strategic Initiative: Use appropriate media and targeted
messages to raise patron awareness of relevant Library resources.
Increased usage has made Library staff aware of the need to improve
the website’s design and in early 2015, the Library launched a web
redesign project to improve functionality and ease of access. The new
website will launch in 2016.
Subscriber lists for the Library’s targeted monthly enewsletters
continued to grow. New mobile-friendly enewsletters were added in
2015 for Teens, Technology Training, and Children.
“ I also borrowed review books
from the Library, and when they
did not have something I needed
for study, it was purchased!
How can you beat that?”
–ELISA O’BRIEN
9
Strategic Initiative: Ensure our patrons and staff have
access to established and emerging technologies and the
opportunity to achieve technological literacy.
The Technology Training Center staff offered a variety of professional
development programs including The Art of the Resume, Interviewing,
and Developing an ePortfolio. Regular visits from the Career
Coach allow patrons to develop their marketable job skills by learning
Microsoft Word and Excel. Business staff teamed with SCORE to
offer programs designed for small business owners. Residents learned
to use the genealogy research tools in Local History programs.
Access to expert help at the Drop-In Lab in the Technology Training
Center is now available three times a week, with bilingual assistance
in Spanish offered at most sessions.
New online learning service offered by Library. Lynda.com is an
online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses (and over
130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development,
IT, education/instruction, media production, and business. Experts
create and deliver all courses as well as provide supplemental materials
like exercise files and relevant work samples. Patrons can track their
progress and earn certificates and skills acquired can be synced with
a patron’s LinkedIn account.
The Library’s partnership with lynda.com helps to ensure that patrons
will have equal opportunity to build skills and achieve technologi-cal
literacy at all levels. Lynda instructional courses will enhance the
Library’s Technology Training and Business Center programs, helping
members of the Greenwich community, from students to seniors,
develop professionally.
Patrons can learn on their own time, in bite size chunks of instruction
and set individual learning paths, from beginner through advanced.
They can create learning ‘playlists’, bookmark videos, and browse the
extensive lynda library for topics of interest.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Technology
10
12
13
Strategic Initiative: Meet the needs and interests of
Greenwich residents by making strategic programming choices.
Greenwich Library explored and celebrated the music of Duke
Ellington with a film, concert, and panel discussion in partnership
with BackCountry Jazz. The Peterson Concert series featured stellar
performances from guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo and
jazz pianist Fred Hersch. The Ashforth Children’s Concert series,
designed to expose children to quality musical performances, hosted
a performance with the chamber ensemble Decoda in conjunction
with Curiosity Concerts Series. The Shakespeare series led by expert
Bob Smith continued, discussing Henry V and Romeo and Juliet.
AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary brought well-regarded authors to
Greenwich including Steve Forbes (Money: How the Deconstruction
of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy), and Richard Ford (Let
me be Frank with You). In June, the Library partnered with the JCC
of Greenwich to bring the ever-popular Judy Blume to discuss her
latest book In the Unlikely Event.
Strategic Initiative: Support the academic and life
success of Greenwich children by promoting early
literacy and a love of reading.
The Children’s Summer Reading program continued to grow with
1,125 participants across the Library system under the theme “Fizz,
Boom, Read.” Sixty-five students entering grades 6-12 registered
for the teen summer reading program, “Spark a Reaction,” logging
126,000 pages and submitting a total of 34 reviews.
Year-round storytimes, book clubs, and craft programs at all three
locations are well attended, fostering a love of reading in children.
Crowds are attracted for special programs such as Take your Child
to the Library Day and Read Across America celebrations. The
Children’s Services staff hosts many school visits from Greenwich
students throughout the year.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Lifelong Learning
and Enrichment
14
Strategic Initiative: Strengthen our focus on satisfying
the questions, needs, and preferences of our patrons.
Plans were made to conduct a Community Survey in early fall
2015 to examine the community’s views about Library services and
priorities. Th is anonymous survey is a continuation of Greenwich
Library’s fi ve-year strategic plan –My Library: Connecting our
Community– launched in 2012.
Th e survey was designed by a committee of Library staff and trustees
in consultation with Berk Associates, a Seattle-based consulting
fi rm. It will focus on current use, programming preferences, digital
collections, technology support, possible use of space, and “what ifs”
regarding potential future services. Th e Library also collaborated with
Berk Associates on the 2011 Community Survey.
Strategic Initiative: Reimagine our public spaces to refl ect
changes in technology and how people use the Library.
Th e Board of Trustees retained architectural fi rm Peter Gisolfi
Associates to develop a Master Plan for the Main Library. Th e purpose
of the Master Plan is to design a fl exible and adaptable space plan
that best meets the community’s needs. It will identify areas that are
underutilized and those that should be expanded, while positioning
the Library as the community’s center for information, technology,
and lifelong learning.
Th e Library continued the fi ve-year capital improvement plan for
the envelope of the Peterson Wing. Th ree of four Peterson Wing
roofs were replaced. Th e Main Library, with Town support,
undertook a masonry restoration project of the historic wing of
the building beginning in spring 2015 which is expected to
conclude by the winter of 2016.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Service and
Community Space
15
16
17
Strategic Initiative: Strengthen our community of
readers by increasing patron connections to one another
and to our collections.
Greenwich Reads Together (GRT) 2014 engaged
residents in a discussion of The Boys in the Boat
by Daniel James Brown. This compelling non-fiction
narrative about a rowing team that overcame
enormous odds to win the 1936 Olympics was
incredibly popular, circulating over 2,300 times.
A total of 6,500 residents turned out for 61 different events–readings,
expert panels, book discussions, storytelling and film screenings
sponsored by many town-based organizations. The experience
concluded with a warm and engaging talk by the author, Daniel
James Brown. In the Greenwich Public Schools, more than 5,000
students, parents, and faculty participated in Greenwich Reads
Together in over 40 programs for all grade levels across the district–
over two thousand more than last year. Three companion books were
selected, enabling younger children at the elementary and middle
school level to participate as well. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie was selected for Greenwich Reads Together 2015.
Strategic Initiative: Expand and focus our partnerships
for the collective benefit of the Greenwich community.
The Library cultivates partnerships with similar community-minded
organizations such as such as Curiosity Concerts Series, Greenwich
Hospital, Greenwich Commission on Aging, Greenwich Historical
Society, Greenwich Alliance for Education, and Fairfield County Score.
The Library partnered with World Affairs Forum for a discussion
of “India and the Promise and Peril of Recent Elections in the World’s
Largest Democracy” led by Dr. Manu Bhagavan of Hunter College.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Community
and Connections
18
BYRAM SHUBERT BRANCH LIBRARY
The Byram Shubert Branch Library staff, in conjunction with the Friends
of Byram Shubert Library, offered diverse programs for adults and children
including music and craft demonstrations and health lectures. Highlights
included community classics like the annual tree lighting and open house
in December and the 84th anniversary celebration in May. The branch also
offered tween hip hop workshops and puppet shows for children. The Byram
community gathers for regular Branch programs featuring family music and
international films, art exhibits, and international book discussions. The
Friends of the Byram Shubert Library held two successful book and media
sales in November and May.
COS COB BRANCH LIBRARY
The annual open house and children’s book sale featured science activities to
complement the summer reading theme “Fizz, Boom, Read.” The third an-nual
Winter’s Eve event, sponsored by the Cos Cob Association, brought 200
patrons into the branch for a holiday card making workshop. Perennial fa-vorites
include Tellabration, National Hot Tea month, and the vacation week
movie series. Several notable AuthorsLive events included local author Sarah
Darer Littman, who launched her young adult book, Backlash, at the branch.
Art shows were presented in the Community Room including “Morocco
Through the Lens,” featuring the photographs of Greenwich resident Mike
Harris. Long running book clubs continued including both the Brown Bag
and Thursday Evening clubs, which were joined by the recently formed Cloak
and Dagger Club, focusing on mysteries. Branch staff partnered with the
Friends of the Cos Cob Library to offer classes for adults and children such as
crafts, genealogy, music, chess, Sudoku, and popular animal programs.
FRIENDS OF GREENWICH LIBRARY
The support of the Friends of Greenwich Library continued to benefit the
Greenwich community with a variety of educational and community events
to the Library. The popular Flinn Gallery exhibit of “Ka-Pow! When Comics
Imperiled America” featured the historical comic collection of resident Robert
Reiner. The esteemed Musicians from Marlboro returned as part of the Cole
Concert series for three classical concerts. The Poet’s Voice presented Pulitzer
Prize winner Vijay Seshadri. Forty Head Start preschool children enjoyed
bimonthly visits to the Children’s Room through the Outreach program.
Families enjoyed spectacular TheatreWorks performances including
Charlotte’s Web and Fly Guy. The Friends contributed funds to support
Summer Reading programming, and funded the Library’s book van which
visits 12 senior residences in Greenwich. They also funded an upgrade of
the Cole Auditorium’s sound system.
Library Branches
and Friends
19
20
“ When I decided I
wanted to turn my
photography into
a small business,
I knew that the
library would have
something for me.
So I found this
workshop and
ended up building
a network of
local small business
entrepreneurs.”
–TOM NAPLES
“ The Library’s helped
me in semi-retirement.
Through the gallery
upstairs, and the films
on Friday nights, which
are fabulous–and I’ve
started to write my
memoir via some
lecturers that involved
how to write your
memoirs. I started
reading The New
Yorker which I never
read before, attending
a two-hour session
just talking about The
New Yorker and that
meant you had to
read it that last week!
So that was fun.”
–SHARON SHISLER
Heard at
the Library
21
“ It’s like stepping in
to a cozy palace of
tranquility, happiness
and peace…
and then there
are all the fantastic
people, books, media,
events… etc.
What would all of
us do without it?”
–KATE HOHORST
“ I think one of the
greatest things about
the Greenwich Library
is that there is a strong
sense of community.
Whatever branch you
go to, there are events
for the kids. Their
friends go there. They
socialize. Every time
they go there, they
bring something home,
and it’s not just a book;
it’s an experience.”
–BOB STRASSEL
22
ADMINISTRATION
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn,
Library Director
Joseph A. Williams,
Deputy Director
Maria Carey
Arlene Roberts Grant
Debbie Orrico
Kate Petrov
Maria A. Tynan (retired)
Catherine Cerreta Tynes
John Yoke
CUSTODIAL
William Sherwood,
Building Operations Foreman
Martin Blandon
Lamont Rollins
Armando Romero
Ricky Senft
Dominick Tamburri
John Yepes
INFORMATION
Wynne Delmhorst,
Manager
Alice Bonvenuto
Sandra Chan
Mary Cuff
Joanne Gaither
Michele Martin
Laura Matthews
Ed Morrissey
Jasmine Posey
Siobhan Schugmann
Matthew Sgritta
Deirdre Sullivan
Margaret Walsh
Yang Wang
David Waring
Carl White
LENDING
Moira Danehy,
Manager
Nicole Allen
Laura Cirelli
Joan Eaton
Nohora Formento
Kari Fuscaldo
Karen Harris
Gene Hayes
Maria Higbie
Mari Jinno
Stephanie Martin
Everett Perdue
Dulce Stanton
Robin Terzi
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Eric McCarthy,
Manager
Mary Curcio
Marilyn Derr
Rosa Galesky
Will Gray
Pratima Gupta (retired)
Richard Langeloh
Stephen Schmidt
Junko Tanaka
Jayshree Trivedi
Marianne Weill
BYRAM SHUBERT
BRANCH LIBRARY
Miguel García-Colón, Librarian
Garry Mirsky
COS COB BRANCH LIBRARY
Wendy Silver, Librarian
Kathleen Mullins
Library Staff
Haley Rockwell Elmlinger,
President
Chip Haslun,
First Vice President
Dan Daniels,
Second Vice President
Robert Marks,
Treasurer
Mary-Jane Brogan,
Secretary
Karen Free Royce,
Member at Large
Susan Alexander
Candice Bednar
Angelique Febles Bell
Wear Culvahouse
Michael Freitag
Robert Glanville
Nicole Hadley
Kenneth Halcom
Tom Heagney
Judy Higgins
Jane Marsh
Dee Mayberry
Andrew Peisch
Barbara Richards
Jere Thomson
EX-OFFICIO
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn,
Director
Peter Tesei,
First Selectman
Sharon Fortenbaugh,
Friends Chairman
Board
of Trustees
23
Board of
The Friends of
Greenwich Library
Sharon Fortenbaugh,
Chairman
Jeanine B. Getz,
Treasurer
Robin Zorthian,
Recording Secretary
Jennifer Baldock
Samantha Berman
Wayne Campbell
Bebbie Chickering
Monique Christensen
Ruth Davidson
Robin Edelston
Traci Fiore
Nicole Hadley
MariaSole Kaine
Karen D. Koetter
Mary Ellen LeBien
Tracy McKenna
Jill Smith
Trish Stefani
Kerry Strassel
Carolyn Surgent
Susanne Wahba
Mary-Ann Zalman
EX-OFFICIO
Haley Rockwell Elmlinger
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn
24
“E merging technologies are
being successfully met with
new service initiatives, enhanced
staff technical core competencies
and reenergized collection
management efforts. Patrons’
increased interest in eBooks,
eAudiobooks, streaming music,
streaming movies, and digital
magazines requires constant
rebalancing of physical and
digital content. Community
interest in additional meeting
rooms, collaborative study, quiet
reading areas, and maker spaces
is influencing a reimagining
of Library space.”
–BARBARA ORMEROD-GLYNN,
DIRECTOR, GREENWICH LIBRARY
Looking Forward
25
101 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich CT 06830

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

A
Our Community
Our Library
B
1
Greenwich Library is now in the third year
of implementing its 2012-2017 Strategic Plan:
My Library, Connecting Our Community.
While traditional library services continue
to be heavily utilized, patron use of online
streaming and downloadable resources
continued to show fast growth. The public-private
partnership supported by Greenwich
residents, Trustees and Friends as well as
the Town of Greenwich continues to be
critical to our success.
Our Community
Our Library
• Greenwich Library focused on developing and implementing
a comprehensive collection assessment of all print materials as
part of implementing its strategic plan.
• Key management roles including Deputy Director and
Manager of Resources Management were filled.
• Archival photographs documenting the history of Greenwich
were selected and scanned as part of an ongoing effort to digitize
and make easily accessible the Library’s local history resources.
• Greenwich Library received a coveted Five-Star Library Award
by Library Journal for the sixth time in seven years.
• The self-checkout machines at the Main Library were upgraded
to improve performance and ease of use.
• The Library’s website use increased by 16% reflecting the growing
demand for digital materials including eBooks, audiobooks,
magazines, and databases. The Library, recognizing that its website
is in need of upgrading to reflect best web design for libraries,
launched a redesign project in early 2015.
• AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary continued to attract prominent
authors including Judy Blume, Steve Forbes, Richard Ford,
Andrew Gross, and William Mann.
• In order to support the secondary school students of
Greenwich, the Main Library again extended hours in
January and June 2015 to accommodate exam schedules.
Noteworthy
Accomplishments
2
3
4
Statistics from 2014-15 demonstrate the
growing demand for digital content as
usage of the Library’s online resources grew
dramatically. At the same time, in-person use
of the Library, while still high, decreased slightly.
• Website usage increased by 16% to 2,580,409 visits.
• Circulation of physical items decreased by 4%
to 1,225,413. However, circulation of
downloadable music increased by 507% and
downloadable eBooks and audiobooks increased
by 25% and 54%, respectively.
• Other traditional in-person use of the Library
decreased including door count (-2% to 655,610),
overall program attendance (-2% to 50,410)
and reference assistance (-8% to 159,419).
Statistics
and Highlights
5
6
Greenwich Library has a long history of a
public-private partnership with the Town.
The annual operating budget is funded by the
Town of Greenwich while the Board of Trustees’
Development Office raises private funds to
support Library programs and initiatives. Other
program funding comes from the Friends groups
from each of the three libraries in the system.
A longtime standing private endowment comes
from the Clementine L. Peterson Foundation.
The Foundation was established under the will of
Clementine L. Peterson in memory of her son,
Jonathan, and her husband, J. Whitney Peterson.
Peterson Foundation trustees exclusively govern
the investment plan and distribution of funds. The
annual distribution is used for operating and staffing
costs of the Peterson Wing as well as for enhancing
business and music collections and services.
Sources
of Funding
7
USES OF FUNDS
Patron Services
Books and Other
Library Resources
Facilities
Programs
Patron and
Staff Training
SOURCES OF FUNDS
Town
Peterson
Foundation
Friends of
Greenwich Library
and Other Private
Funding
Strategic Initiative: Continue to expand and curate
our collections and provide easy access to Library resources.
Staff conducted an extensive collection evaluation of all physical
items at the Main Library in 2014-2015. The goals of the
evaluation were to sustain the valued depth and breadth of the
collections, to continually adjust the balance of print and digital
content based on patron interests, and to free up crowded shelves
in order to reduce or reverse the trend of declining circulation in
physical materials. An optimized collection will allow the display
of materials which facilitates patron browsing and rebalances
collection sizes for future space planning. The implementation
of resized collections has already been completed with the print
periodical collection.
Strategic Initiative: Embrace and integrate
emerging media into our collections.
Library staff began to digitize an archival photographic collection to
honor Greenwich’s 375th anniversary. The collection includes 2,500
photographs and negatives from the late 19th to 20th centuries which
document the history of the Town. Photographs and negatives were
scanned following best digital conservation practices so that every detail
is preserved. The photos are available online for public viewing.
Patrons are attracted to the Library’s website for its ability to
provide 24/7 access to library accounts, listen to author podcasts,
download digital eBooks and audiobooks through Overdrive and
OneClickDigital, as well as stream video and music through Naxos
Music Library and Freegal. Researchers can access specialized
academic, business, and health databases. Usage statistics in these
areas demonstrate how access has become easier. Library cardholders
downloaded 25% more eBooks (81,736 downloads) and 54%
more audiobooks (22,376 downloads) than the previous year.
Approximately 90% of eBook reading is in the fiction category
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Collections
8
since the online format has not yet been fully adopted for high
circulating non-fiction print subjects such as cook books and travel
guides. Several major publishers started offering eBooks to libraries
last year, thus increasing Greenwich Library’s ability to provide more
titles that patrons want including more New York Times best-sellers.
There is also an increased awareness from Library users, led by the
conscious outreach efforts of staff to support users of eReaders and
devices via Drop-in Labs in the Technology Training Center and
increased marketing via social media and the Library catalog.
Strategic Initiative: Use appropriate media and targeted
messages to raise patron awareness of relevant Library resources.
Increased usage has made Library staff aware of the need to improve
the website’s design and in early 2015, the Library launched a web
redesign project to improve functionality and ease of access. The new
website will launch in 2016.
Subscriber lists for the Library’s targeted monthly enewsletters
continued to grow. New mobile-friendly enewsletters were added in
2015 for Teens, Technology Training, and Children.
“ I also borrowed review books
from the Library, and when they
did not have something I needed
for study, it was purchased!
How can you beat that?”
–ELISA O’BRIEN
9
Strategic Initiative: Ensure our patrons and staff have
access to established and emerging technologies and the
opportunity to achieve technological literacy.
The Technology Training Center staff offered a variety of professional
development programs including The Art of the Resume, Interviewing,
and Developing an ePortfolio. Regular visits from the Career
Coach allow patrons to develop their marketable job skills by learning
Microsoft Word and Excel. Business staff teamed with SCORE to
offer programs designed for small business owners. Residents learned
to use the genealogy research tools in Local History programs.
Access to expert help at the Drop-In Lab in the Technology Training
Center is now available three times a week, with bilingual assistance
in Spanish offered at most sessions.
New online learning service offered by Library. Lynda.com is an
online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses (and over
130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development,
IT, education/instruction, media production, and business. Experts
create and deliver all courses as well as provide supplemental materials
like exercise files and relevant work samples. Patrons can track their
progress and earn certificates and skills acquired can be synced with
a patron’s LinkedIn account.
The Library’s partnership with lynda.com helps to ensure that patrons
will have equal opportunity to build skills and achieve technologi-cal
literacy at all levels. Lynda instructional courses will enhance the
Library’s Technology Training and Business Center programs, helping
members of the Greenwich community, from students to seniors,
develop professionally.
Patrons can learn on their own time, in bite size chunks of instruction
and set individual learning paths, from beginner through advanced.
They can create learning ‘playlists’, bookmark videos, and browse the
extensive lynda library for topics of interest.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Technology
10
12
13
Strategic Initiative: Meet the needs and interests of
Greenwich residents by making strategic programming choices.
Greenwich Library explored and celebrated the music of Duke
Ellington with a film, concert, and panel discussion in partnership
with BackCountry Jazz. The Peterson Concert series featured stellar
performances from guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo and
jazz pianist Fred Hersch. The Ashforth Children’s Concert series,
designed to expose children to quality musical performances, hosted
a performance with the chamber ensemble Decoda in conjunction
with Curiosity Concerts Series. The Shakespeare series led by expert
Bob Smith continued, discussing Henry V and Romeo and Juliet.
AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary brought well-regarded authors to
Greenwich including Steve Forbes (Money: How the Deconstruction
of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy), and Richard Ford (Let
me be Frank with You). In June, the Library partnered with the JCC
of Greenwich to bring the ever-popular Judy Blume to discuss her
latest book In the Unlikely Event.
Strategic Initiative: Support the academic and life
success of Greenwich children by promoting early
literacy and a love of reading.
The Children’s Summer Reading program continued to grow with
1,125 participants across the Library system under the theme “Fizz,
Boom, Read.” Sixty-five students entering grades 6-12 registered
for the teen summer reading program, “Spark a Reaction,” logging
126,000 pages and submitting a total of 34 reviews.
Year-round storytimes, book clubs, and craft programs at all three
locations are well attended, fostering a love of reading in children.
Crowds are attracted for special programs such as Take your Child
to the Library Day and Read Across America celebrations. The
Children’s Services staff hosts many school visits from Greenwich
students throughout the year.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Lifelong Learning
and Enrichment
14
Strategic Initiative: Strengthen our focus on satisfying
the questions, needs, and preferences of our patrons.
Plans were made to conduct a Community Survey in early fall
2015 to examine the community’s views about Library services and
priorities. Th is anonymous survey is a continuation of Greenwich
Library’s fi ve-year strategic plan –My Library: Connecting our
Community– launched in 2012.
Th e survey was designed by a committee of Library staff and trustees
in consultation with Berk Associates, a Seattle-based consulting
fi rm. It will focus on current use, programming preferences, digital
collections, technology support, possible use of space, and “what ifs”
regarding potential future services. Th e Library also collaborated with
Berk Associates on the 2011 Community Survey.
Strategic Initiative: Reimagine our public spaces to refl ect
changes in technology and how people use the Library.
Th e Board of Trustees retained architectural fi rm Peter Gisolfi
Associates to develop a Master Plan for the Main Library. Th e purpose
of the Master Plan is to design a fl exible and adaptable space plan
that best meets the community’s needs. It will identify areas that are
underutilized and those that should be expanded, while positioning
the Library as the community’s center for information, technology,
and lifelong learning.
Th e Library continued the fi ve-year capital improvement plan for
the envelope of the Peterson Wing. Th ree of four Peterson Wing
roofs were replaced. Th e Main Library, with Town support,
undertook a masonry restoration project of the historic wing of
the building beginning in spring 2015 which is expected to
conclude by the winter of 2016.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Service and
Community Space
15
16
17
Strategic Initiative: Strengthen our community of
readers by increasing patron connections to one another
and to our collections.
Greenwich Reads Together (GRT) 2014 engaged
residents in a discussion of The Boys in the Boat
by Daniel James Brown. This compelling non-fiction
narrative about a rowing team that overcame
enormous odds to win the 1936 Olympics was
incredibly popular, circulating over 2,300 times.
A total of 6,500 residents turned out for 61 different events–readings,
expert panels, book discussions, storytelling and film screenings
sponsored by many town-based organizations. The experience
concluded with a warm and engaging talk by the author, Daniel
James Brown. In the Greenwich Public Schools, more than 5,000
students, parents, and faculty participated in Greenwich Reads
Together in over 40 programs for all grade levels across the district–
over two thousand more than last year. Three companion books were
selected, enabling younger children at the elementary and middle
school level to participate as well. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie was selected for Greenwich Reads Together 2015.
Strategic Initiative: Expand and focus our partnerships
for the collective benefit of the Greenwich community.
The Library cultivates partnerships with similar community-minded
organizations such as such as Curiosity Concerts Series, Greenwich
Hospital, Greenwich Commission on Aging, Greenwich Historical
Society, Greenwich Alliance for Education, and Fairfield County Score.
The Library partnered with World Affairs Forum for a discussion
of “India and the Promise and Peril of Recent Elections in the World’s
Largest Democracy” led by Dr. Manu Bhagavan of Hunter College.
CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Community
and Connections
18
BYRAM SHUBERT BRANCH LIBRARY
The Byram Shubert Branch Library staff, in conjunction with the Friends
of Byram Shubert Library, offered diverse programs for adults and children
including music and craft demonstrations and health lectures. Highlights
included community classics like the annual tree lighting and open house
in December and the 84th anniversary celebration in May. The branch also
offered tween hip hop workshops and puppet shows for children. The Byram
community gathers for regular Branch programs featuring family music and
international films, art exhibits, and international book discussions. The
Friends of the Byram Shubert Library held two successful book and media
sales in November and May.
COS COB BRANCH LIBRARY
The annual open house and children’s book sale featured science activities to
complement the summer reading theme “Fizz, Boom, Read.” The third an-nual
Winter’s Eve event, sponsored by the Cos Cob Association, brought 200
patrons into the branch for a holiday card making workshop. Perennial fa-vorites
include Tellabration, National Hot Tea month, and the vacation week
movie series. Several notable AuthorsLive events included local author Sarah
Darer Littman, who launched her young adult book, Backlash, at the branch.
Art shows were presented in the Community Room including “Morocco
Through the Lens,” featuring the photographs of Greenwich resident Mike
Harris. Long running book clubs continued including both the Brown Bag
and Thursday Evening clubs, which were joined by the recently formed Cloak
and Dagger Club, focusing on mysteries. Branch staff partnered with the
Friends of the Cos Cob Library to offer classes for adults and children such as
crafts, genealogy, music, chess, Sudoku, and popular animal programs.
FRIENDS OF GREENWICH LIBRARY
The support of the Friends of Greenwich Library continued to benefit the
Greenwich community with a variety of educational and community events
to the Library. The popular Flinn Gallery exhibit of “Ka-Pow! When Comics
Imperiled America” featured the historical comic collection of resident Robert
Reiner. The esteemed Musicians from Marlboro returned as part of the Cole
Concert series for three classical concerts. The Poet’s Voice presented Pulitzer
Prize winner Vijay Seshadri. Forty Head Start preschool children enjoyed
bimonthly visits to the Children’s Room through the Outreach program.
Families enjoyed spectacular TheatreWorks performances including
Charlotte’s Web and Fly Guy. The Friends contributed funds to support
Summer Reading programming, and funded the Library’s book van which
visits 12 senior residences in Greenwich. They also funded an upgrade of
the Cole Auditorium’s sound system.
Library Branches
and Friends
19
20
“ When I decided I
wanted to turn my
photography into
a small business,
I knew that the
library would have
something for me.
So I found this
workshop and
ended up building
a network of
local small business
entrepreneurs.”
–TOM NAPLES
“ The Library’s helped
me in semi-retirement.
Through the gallery
upstairs, and the films
on Friday nights, which
are fabulous–and I’ve
started to write my
memoir via some
lecturers that involved
how to write your
memoirs. I started
reading The New
Yorker which I never
read before, attending
a two-hour session
just talking about The
New Yorker and that
meant you had to
read it that last week!
So that was fun.”
–SHARON SHISLER
Heard at
the Library
21
“ It’s like stepping in
to a cozy palace of
tranquility, happiness
and peace…
and then there
are all the fantastic
people, books, media,
events… etc.
What would all of
us do without it?”
–KATE HOHORST
“ I think one of the
greatest things about
the Greenwich Library
is that there is a strong
sense of community.
Whatever branch you
go to, there are events
for the kids. Their
friends go there. They
socialize. Every time
they go there, they
bring something home,
and it’s not just a book;
it’s an experience.”
–BOB STRASSEL
22
ADMINISTRATION
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn,
Library Director
Joseph A. Williams,
Deputy Director
Maria Carey
Arlene Roberts Grant
Debbie Orrico
Kate Petrov
Maria A. Tynan (retired)
Catherine Cerreta Tynes
John Yoke
CUSTODIAL
William Sherwood,
Building Operations Foreman
Martin Blandon
Lamont Rollins
Armando Romero
Ricky Senft
Dominick Tamburri
John Yepes
INFORMATION
Wynne Delmhorst,
Manager
Alice Bonvenuto
Sandra Chan
Mary Cuff
Joanne Gaither
Michele Martin
Laura Matthews
Ed Morrissey
Jasmine Posey
Siobhan Schugmann
Matthew Sgritta
Deirdre Sullivan
Margaret Walsh
Yang Wang
David Waring
Carl White
LENDING
Moira Danehy,
Manager
Nicole Allen
Laura Cirelli
Joan Eaton
Nohora Formento
Kari Fuscaldo
Karen Harris
Gene Hayes
Maria Higbie
Mari Jinno
Stephanie Martin
Everett Perdue
Dulce Stanton
Robin Terzi
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Eric McCarthy,
Manager
Mary Curcio
Marilyn Derr
Rosa Galesky
Will Gray
Pratima Gupta (retired)
Richard Langeloh
Stephen Schmidt
Junko Tanaka
Jayshree Trivedi
Marianne Weill
BYRAM SHUBERT
BRANCH LIBRARY
Miguel García-Colón, Librarian
Garry Mirsky
COS COB BRANCH LIBRARY
Wendy Silver, Librarian
Kathleen Mullins
Library Staff
Haley Rockwell Elmlinger,
President
Chip Haslun,
First Vice President
Dan Daniels,
Second Vice President
Robert Marks,
Treasurer
Mary-Jane Brogan,
Secretary
Karen Free Royce,
Member at Large
Susan Alexander
Candice Bednar
Angelique Febles Bell
Wear Culvahouse
Michael Freitag
Robert Glanville
Nicole Hadley
Kenneth Halcom
Tom Heagney
Judy Higgins
Jane Marsh
Dee Mayberry
Andrew Peisch
Barbara Richards
Jere Thomson
EX-OFFICIO
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn,
Director
Peter Tesei,
First Selectman
Sharon Fortenbaugh,
Friends Chairman
Board
of Trustees
23
Board of
The Friends of
Greenwich Library
Sharon Fortenbaugh,
Chairman
Jeanine B. Getz,
Treasurer
Robin Zorthian,
Recording Secretary
Jennifer Baldock
Samantha Berman
Wayne Campbell
Bebbie Chickering
Monique Christensen
Ruth Davidson
Robin Edelston
Traci Fiore
Nicole Hadley
MariaSole Kaine
Karen D. Koetter
Mary Ellen LeBien
Tracy McKenna
Jill Smith
Trish Stefani
Kerry Strassel
Carolyn Surgent
Susanne Wahba
Mary-Ann Zalman
EX-OFFICIO
Haley Rockwell Elmlinger
Barbara Ormerod-Glynn
24
“E merging technologies are
being successfully met with
new service initiatives, enhanced
staff technical core competencies
and reenergized collection
management efforts. Patrons’
increased interest in eBooks,
eAudiobooks, streaming music,
streaming movies, and digital
magazines requires constant
rebalancing of physical and
digital content. Community
interest in additional meeting
rooms, collaborative study, quiet
reading areas, and maker spaces
is influencing a reimagining
of Library space.”
–BARBARA ORMEROD-GLYNN,
DIRECTOR, GREENWICH LIBRARY
Looking Forward
25
101 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich CT 06830